Project 10073 Record Card — Columbus, Ohio, 18 November 1961

On November 18, 1961, at approximately 1510 hours local time, a 29-year-old male witness observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while attending a football game at the Ohio State University stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The witness reported seeing a single, round, aluminum-colored object that appeared as a white light. The object was described as being approximately four times the size of the brightest star and was positioned slightly above and to the right of the sun. The witness noted that the object remained stationary relative to the sun for a duration of five minutes, and the total observation lasted for twenty minutes before the object disappeared into the sun. The witness reported no sound associated with the object and stated that it did not appear to be moving. Weather conditions at the time were described as having scattered clouds and dry air. The witness, who had previously reported a similar sighting in 1949 near Toledo, Ohio, expressed uncertainty about the nature of the object, simply labeling it as 'unknown' in his opinion. The official Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) record card for this incident concludes that the object was likely a balloon, noting that there was no conflicting information and that the characteristics and appearance were consistent with a balloon. The documentation includes multiple iterations of the U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheet, which the witness completed on November 20, 1961, providing details on his location, the object's appearance, and his observations.